The City of Kirkland is considering asking voters to approve a park bond to pay for increased maintenance of the parks system as well as the acquisition and maintenance of new parks. An exploratory committee has been assembled to determine their "dream list" of projects to fund under a new Park Bond. Since the public will not be directly asked what they think on this issue, we thought we would provide you an opportunity to give input in our poll.
[box type="info" style="rounded" border="full"]A shift in funding of city services

The City is presenting the case for additional funding of several services for which there is not adequate funding. Road maintenance is one such case. Citizens at neighborhood meetings are being educated on the subject including one possible funding source: a Transportation Benefit District (TBD).

The proposed Park Bond is another way to fund a service in need of additional resources.

These funding proposals must be judged on their respective merits as well as in context to each other and the rest of the city budget. [/box]

[polldaddy poll="5559800"]

The Park Funding Exploratory Committee

The newly-formed Park Funding Exploratory Committee is a City Council-appointed group of citizens asked to consider and make recommendations regarding funding to help meet the capital, maintenance, and operational needs of the City’s park, open space and recreation system. The Committee is comprised of nearly 50 citizens representing a broad array of key community stakeholders and is chaired by City Councilmember Amy Walen.

The Committee is gathering and interpreting information about the goals, issues, needs, and priorities of Kirkland’s park, open space and recreation system; directing public outreach strategies such as citizen surveys and focus groups; exploring funding alternatives such as a park bonds and levies; and preparing conclusions and recommendations for Council consideration.

Some of the major issues the Committee will be asked to consider include:

the merits of placing ballot measure(s) to voters in either 2012 or 2013;

the Eastside Rail Corridor;

sustainable funding for Green Kirkland;

community recreation center;

park and open space needs of the newly-annexed neighborhoods;

the future of Finn Hill Park and Recreation District (O.O. Denny Park);

preservation of the historic Kirkland Cannery Building;

the future of the Totem Lake park property.

We invite you to vote in our poll to the right and to add any thoughts in the comments below. Are there other parks or issues not listed here that are important to you? Would you support a bond for anything parks-related? Or would you not support this form of tax increase for parks?